Colorado residents to vote on hunting ban of mountain lions, other wild cats

A proposal that would ban the hunting and commercial trapping of mountain lions along with other wild cats will soon be on the Colorado ballot.

The Colorado Secretary of State's Office confirmed to Fox News Digital that Proposed Initiative #91, “Prohibit Trophy Hunting,” has more than enough signatures to qualify for the general election on Nov. 5.

If the measure passes, bobcats and lynx will also be protected.

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The initiative was heavily backed by wildlife advocates, including the Cats Aren't Trophies (CATs) organization, which is based in Grand Lake, Colorado.

“Colorado voters will have an opportunity to halt the inhumane and needless killing of mountain lions and bobcats for their heads and beautiful fur coats,” Samantha Miller, CATs' campaign manager, said in a press release.

The proposed ballot measure accumulated nearly 200,000 signatures.

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“While the measure stops the recreational trophy hunting and commercial fur trapping of wild cats, it allows lethal removal of any problem animal for the safety of people, pets or farm and ranch animals,” Miller added.

Last hunting season, Colorado hunters killed 502 cats in the Centennial State, according to Colorado Parks & Wildlife. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Colorado Wildlife & Parks for comment.

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Though some states have specific regulations on hunting species of wild cats, California has prevented mountain lion hunting since 1972 and, since 1990, the state protects the animals as a “nongame species,” according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

In 2015, California banned trapping of bobcats, while in 2020, bobcat hunting was also banned.

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Mountain lions, also known as pumas, are solitary cats that are most active at dusk and dawn, according to the Mountain Lion Foundation in Sacramento.